A number of convertible vehicles are known in which the movable roof can be secured to the windshield frame of the vehicle in its closed position via two laterally outwardly disposed engagement members, for instance rotary latches, arresting hooks or the like.
Both engagement members are connected to a central manual or powered drive via force communicators, for instance chains or in particular pull and/or push rods, extended substantially transversely to the vehicle and thus following the course of the roof peak contacting the windshield frame.
EP 0 972 665 B1 shows a typical arrangement having a central drive which includes a vertical rotary axle and acts on a drive wheel rotatable around this axis, with two pull-push rods being held mutually opposite at said drive wheel. The ends of said pull-push rods are cropped to enable a securing over dead center position in the closed roof position and nevertheless to ensure that the push-pull rods of the two sides do not collide with one another with a closed roof When the drive wheel rotates, the cropped portions of the rods migrate far to the front or rear respectively so that large space requirements result in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, in the securing over dead center position, the cropped ends are asymmetrical to one another with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, whereby it is made difficult to install a closing apparatus of this type for instance in a similar vehicle transposed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The asymmetry can increase on transposition so that a modification of the closing apparatus becomes necessary and an adaptation to different vehicles is made difficult.
Accordingly, it remains desirable to provide a roof closing mechanism that is easily adaptable to a variety of vehicles.